WIPO Reports on Draft Treaties on Audiovisual Performances and on Broadcasting Organizations

Pauline Wong is the Assistant Director of IP Osgoode. The Chairs of the WIPO copyright consultation meetings held in April recently issued reports on two copyright treaties that are currently being negotiated: the draft Treaty on the Protection of Audiovisual Performances and the draft Treaty on the Protection of Broadcasting Organizations.

Two SCC Justices Retire, Two Openings for the Harper Government to Fill

Pauline Wong is Assistant Director of IP Osgoode. The Supreme Court of Canada announced today that The Right Honourable Justice Ian Binnie and The Right Honourable Justice Louise Charron will be retiring from the Court.  This opens up two vacancies on the bench for Stephen Harper’s majority government to fill by their planned retirements on […]

Leave Granted to Appeal to SCC on K-12 Decision

Pauline Wong is the Assistant Director of IP Osgoode. Leave has been granted to, essentially, the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada on the K-12 Tariff Case.  The decision on appeal was rendered by the Federal Court of Appeal. 

Protecting the Public Domain: WIPO Releases Study on Copyright and the Public Domain

Pauline Wong is the Assistant Director of IP Osgoode. The WIPO Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) has released a “Scoping Study on Copyright and Related Rights and the Public Domain”, prepared by Professor Séverine Dusollier of the University of Namur, Belgium.  The Study recognizes that many business models now thrive on the public domain, […]

Google Books Settlement Rejected

Judge Chin of the US District Court (Southern District of New York) has rejected the Google Books Settlement.  See the decision.  Kenneth Crews, founding director of the Copyright Advisory Office at Columbia University, summarizes the decision.  He concludes by asking, "What is next?" and answers as follows: "The parties may accept the invitation to convert […]

Supreme Court of Canada Rules on Cellphone Services Contracts

The Supreme Court of Canada handed down a decision today in the case of Michelle Seidel  v. TELUS Communications Inc., 2011 SCC 15.  At issue is whether a plaintiff consumer can bring various causes of action, including those under consumer protection legislation, in a court of first instance via a class action proceeding or whether […]

New Blog, law.arts.culture, Debuted by Osgoode Professor, Kate Sutherland

Pauline Wong is the Assistant Director of IP Osgoode. A new member to the blogosphere, law.arts.culture, has been launched by Professor Kate Sutherland, a writer and Associate Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School. 

Bill C-32 Hearings Continue

Pauline Wong is the Assistant Director of IP Osgoode. The Legislative Committee on Bill C-32 is continuing to hear from stakeholders regarding the proposed Copyright Modernization Act.  Most recently, the Committee heard from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC), la Société québécoise de gestion collective des droits de reproduction […]

Update on Usage-Based Billing

Pauline Wong is the Assistant Director of IP Osgoode. The CRTC is not the only one reconsidering the question of usage-based billing for internet service.  Further to last week’s statements by its Chairman, Konrad von Finckenstein, the CRTC has announced the approach it will take to reviewing its decision.  Meanwhile, Bell has acknowledged that its […]